Daily Experience

Orientation film

All day

Watch the short film “Where the Waters Meet: Historic Fort Snelling at Bdote” for an introduction to the history of this area as Dakota homeland and as the site of the historic fort built above the confluence of the rivers.

Exhibits

All day

See free exhibits in the visitor center that will enhance your perspective about this site’s history, and why it is still relevant today.

Self-guided tours

All day

Explore the many buildings of the historic fort, inside and out, at your own pace.

Guided theme tours

Schedules and programs subject to change.

• Landscape of Bdote (30 minutes) — Learn about the importance of the site’s location in the Dakota worldview, culture, and communities.
  Tuesday - Friday at 3:30 pm, Saturday - Sunday at 4:30 pm.
• "Remembering the US-Dakota War of 1862" Conversation Tour (30 minutes) — Explore the role played by Fort Snelling in the US-Dakota War and its aftermath, and see locations that connect to the conflict.
  Tuesday - Friday at 11:30 am, Saturday - Sunday at 12:30 pm.
• Women's Stories (30 minutes) — Learn about the women who lived at Fort Snelling in the 1800s, and how their experiences at the Fort were influenced by race, class and marital status.
  Tuesday - Friday at 1:30 pm, Saturday - Sunday at 2:30 pm.

Activity stations

All day

Explore themes and topics in-depth at interpretive stations located throughout the historic site. Interpreters will engage you in activities and conversations about Dakota homeland, immigration, soldiers, race, healing, and more — helping you draw connections between past and present.

Demonstrations

Watch scheduled and ongoing demonstrations by costumed and non-costumed interpreters. Some of the demos invite you to try out activities for yourself! 

Schedules and programs subject to change.

• All day:
  Hearth cooking and blacksmithing.
• At specific times (see schedule posted in the visitor center):
  Military tactics (musket/cannon), baseball/rounders, slavery and civil rights, children’s games, and laundry technology.